


Let It Be

by TheatreGirl79



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 13:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/926814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatreGirl79/pseuds/TheatreGirl79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In times of trouble, allies can be found everywhere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let It Be

Phil Coulson looked out of place sitting in the waiting room for the Women’s Imaging Lab at Pritzker Memorial Hospital, but he just kept on thumbing through a month-old copy of _Time Magazine_. Every time the door to the testing areas and doctor’s offices would open, he would give it a cursory look to see if it was her. After the eighth time the door had opened, Phil finally spotted her, stuffing a piece of paper into her purse.

It was rare for Maria Hill to let her emotions show through, and there was a small part of Phil that nearly leaped at the confusion and anger he briefly saw in her eyes as she spotted him. Yet at the same time he didn’t like being the one to do that, not in this case. Maria said good-bye to the doctor and busied herself with finishing up some paperwork at the front desk. Phil tossed the magazine neatly aside and stood up, adjusting his suit jacket. He looked up in time to see her slip out the door to the waiting room and into the hospital.

He caught up with her just as the elevator doors were closing. Slipping his arm in between the two doors, Phil made his way into the elevator. He stood on the opposite side of it, away from Maria. They were both quiet as the doors closed and they began to descend.

Maria was the first to break the silence. “What are you doing here?”

Phil opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Maria.

“I don’t need you here. This is a private matter.”

“I know it’s a private matter. Which is why you didn’t go to any of the S.H.I.E.L.D. physicians. Maria, you can tell me.”

“I can. But that doesn’t mean I will.”

Phil refused to cross his arms or get agitated at her. He kept his arms at his side, and his body open. “I know.”

The elevator dinged and opened on the main floor. Maria stalked into the lobby, and out the main revolving doors. Phil sighed and exited the elevator, briskly walking to the parking garage and his car. Once he buckled himself in, Phil silently berated himself for pushing and making Maria upset. Starting the car, he began circling the area around the hospital.

He spotted her about a mile away, cutting through a nearby park. Maria was good. If he wasn’t used to her, she would have slipped amongst the normal pedestrians and disappeared from his radar for a couple of days. He drove the car around to the opposite side of the park, by the subway entrance, and waited. She never exited the park. Phil knew he could park the car and try looking for her, but Maria was as bad as his assets; if she wanted to truly hide, he wouldn’t find her.

Sighing, Phil headed back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and continued his work day, not telling anyone why his lunch break was extended. The day wore on, agents coming and going, some leaving their reports with Phil - but no sign of Maria. It made sense since she technically had the day off. Looking at his watch, Phil noticed how late it had become, and decided to go home, stopping for some Chinese take-out on the way home.

Phil wasn’t surprised when he got home and took his food into the kitchen to find Maria sitting there, arms crossed, waiting for him.

“I guess this means I need to get better locks,” Phil quipped. “Orange chicken?”

“No. Why were you at the hospital?”

He put the containers down on the kitchen counter and slowly turned to face her. “Because of you.”

“Why?”

Phil took a deep breath, watching Maria. He looked her straight in the eyes. “Because no one should have to go through this alone.”  Her breath hitched as she tried to stare him down. Maria finally looked away. “Did you tell Fury?”

“Do I need to?”

“I don’t want anyone to know. They’ll look at me differently. Even Fury. They will think I’m fragile.”

“You? Never.” Phil crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from Maria.

She let out a derisive snort and tossed her head back. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t. Not fully. But I pay attention.”

Maria raised an eyebrow at Phil, questioning him.

“Two of my aunts had cancer. They both fought it, but one died when I was really young. The other one, her breast cancer went into remission, but years later she got bladder cancer and died. I can still remember how they acted, the looks in their eyes when they came over to talk to my Mother. You had that same look when you left yesterday.”

“No one else seemed to know.”

“No one else is me.”

Phil watched as Maria seemed to study him, her body slightly reclining back in the chair. She breathed deep a couple of times her fingers running along the edge of the table.

“I’m not scared.”

“Because you’re stronger than many people realize.” Phil leaned forward in his seat, moving his body towards Maria. “If you need to talk, or help, you can come to me. Always. I’ve been through this. You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

Maria stood up. “The tests came back negative. I had some trouble after the incursion in Belarus. They thought it was cervical cancer, but it’s negative. So you needn’t worry about me.”

Phil couldn’t help but think how he always worried about his team, how he watched out for them when they didn’t realize it. He shook his head in relief at the fact that the results were negative.

“Are you okay?”

“If the world tried to end tomorrow, I’ll be there.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Phil said as he stood up.

Maria stood tall, looking Phil in the eyes. She gave him a slight nod. That, and the look she gave him, was enough for Phil to know that she would get through this. He waited for her to break the stare first, and watched Maria head for the back door. Opening the door, she was halfway across the doorjamb when she glanced up at Phil. 

“Thank you,” she softly said. Then, a bit louder, she finished, “And if you ever follow me again you will be on report and demoted so quickly your head will spin.” She closed the door behind her.

Phil locked the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. Maria would be okay. But more importantly, he hoped he knew he would be there for her if the test ever came back positive. He would help her fight it. It was the least he could do.


End file.
